Pirates sign trio of defensemen

January 11, 2013

The Portland Pirates announced today that the team has signed defensemen Bryce Lampman and Russ Sinkewich to professional tryout contracts and defenseman Boris Valabik to an AHL contract with the Pirates.

Valabik, 26, was a first-round draft choice (10th overall) by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2004. He has appeared in 187 career AHL games with Chicago, Providence and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, totaling four goals, 27 assists, 640 penalty minutes and a plus-27 rating.

A member of the 2008 Calder Cup champion Chicago Wolves, the native of Nitra, Slovakia, has seven assists and 210 PIM in 80 career NHL games with Atlanta.

Lampman, 30, had been playing with Orlando (ECHL) this season, tallying three goals and nine assists in 21 games. In 386 AHL contests with Hartford, Norfolk, Iowa, Peoria and Houston, the native of Rochester, Minn., has recorded 33 goals and 84 assists for 117 points.

Lampman has also skated in 10 NHL games with the New York Rangers.

Sinkewich, 27, has three goals and two assists in 11 ECHL games with Gwinnett this season. The native of Westlake, Ohio, has skated in 41 career AHL games with Lake Erie, Milwaukee, Abbotsford and Bridgeport, notching two assists and a plus-4 rating.